Itoh Kazuhiro, Shigemi Hiroko, Chihara Kazuyasu, Sada Kiyonao, Yamauchi Takahiro, Iwasaki Hiromichi
Department of Hematology and Oncology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan; Division of Infection Control and Prevention, University of Fukui Hospital, Fukui, Japan.
Division of Infection Control and Prevention, University of Fukui Hospital, Fukui, Japan.
Transl Res. 2021 Jan;227:53-63. doi: 10.1016/j.trsl.2020.07.005. Epub 2020 Jul 18.
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome and sepsis are considered to contribute to hypercytokinemia in both patients with severe infection and immunocompromised condition. Past research has demonstrated that antibiotics and antifungals not only have antimicrobial efficacy but also affect the immune system. We previously examined whether immune cells were modulated by antibiotics such as tetracyclines or macrolides. The modulation of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated cells by those agents was elucidated. However, few reports about the modulation of the immune system by antifungal agents were found. In this study, the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines and signaling pathways involved were investigated in zymosan-activated THP-1 cells. The effects were examined using antifungal agents such as echinocandin including caspofungin (CAS) and micafungin. Pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Protein phosphorylation was evaluated by western blot analysis. CAS significantly decreased zymosan-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine release in THP-1 cells. CAS (30 µg/mL) also downregulated tumor necrosis factor alpha levels, as shown by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In western blot analysis, inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappa-B alpha, p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and nuclear factor of activated T-cells phosphorylation and activation of caspase-1 and spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) were downregulated. The major underlying mechanism of pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine suppression by CAS is to inhibit activation of Syk and its downstream signaling molecules. Based on the results, it can be concluded that CAS activity possibly involves Syk signaling pathways and has potential to prevent hypercytokinemia in fungal sepsis.
全身炎症反应综合征和脓毒症被认为在严重感染和免疫功能低下的患者中会导致高细胞因子血症。过去的研究表明,抗生素和抗真菌药物不仅具有抗菌功效,还会影响免疫系统。我们之前研究了免疫细胞是否会被四环素或大环内酯类等抗生素所调节。这些药物对脂多糖刺激细胞的调节作用已得到阐明。然而,关于抗真菌药物对免疫系统调节作用的报道很少。在本研究中,我们在酵母聚糖激活的THP-1细胞中研究了促炎细胞因子和趋化因子的产生以及相关的信号通路。使用棘白菌素类抗真菌药物如卡泊芬净(CAS)和米卡芬净来检测其效果。使用酶联免疫吸附测定法测定促炎细胞因子和趋化因子水平。通过蛋白质印迹分析评估蛋白质磷酸化。CAS显著降低了酵母聚糖诱导的THP-1细胞中促炎细胞因子和趋化因子的释放。酶联免疫吸附测定法显示,CAS(30μg/mL)也下调了肿瘤坏死因子α水平。在蛋白质印迹分析中,核因子κBα、p38、c-Jun氨基末端激酶、细胞外信号调节激酶以及活化T细胞核因子的抑制剂的磷酸化以及半胱天冬酶-1和脾酪氨酸激酶(Syk)的活化均被下调。CAS抑制促炎细胞因子和趋化因子的主要潜在机制是抑制Syk及其下游信号分子的活化。基于这些结果,可以得出结论,CAS的活性可能涉及Syk信号通路,并且有潜力预防真菌性脓毒症中的高细胞因子血症。